Page 89 of Damaged Prince
Winter, the gem she is, has been keeping me informed. She said Eli needs a home run, and our team wins.
As Eli lifts the bat, getting it in position, an excited anticipation courses through me.
Part of me wants to lower the camera and just enjoy the moment, but the other knows that this could be the winning hit.
This is something I don’t plan on telling the guys, but out of the three sports the guys play, baseball is my favorite.And something I will never tell Logan is, football is my least. Although he looks damn fine in his gear.
But baseball has to be the one I enjoy watching the most. It’s not too fast-paced, and I can easily watch without having to have my eyes ping-ponging around to take everything in.
I was on my feet, cheering for every good hit and run our team got. Eli even looked over at me with his handsome smile a few times, looking so damn happy to see not only me in the stands but Kai.
Who is sitting next to me, cheering Eli on just as much? It’s hard to see him from here, but I could swear he was blushing a few times. I know my man. And I loved it.
The whole family came out to watch. Mom and James are sitting behind the netting with Benny, while Logan sits on my other side with Winter in front of me.
At first, I didn’t think Owen had come, and I was very pissed off that he would miss his brother’s first game. But about halfway through, when I went to grab snacks and came back, I found Owen watching on the other side of the stadium. He didn’t see that I’d spotted him, but when my eyes landed on him, my heart hurt.
It’s been a little over a month since I went to check on him in the locker room. Seeing him like that fucking killed me. He looked so lost and helpless, like he didn’t know what to do with himself.
I wasn’t sure how to take the things he said. He made it seem like he was physically unable to speak the words he wanted to, like someone cursed him not to.
He was talking in riddles, not making any sense. Maybe it was the drugs, or maybe he really just didn’t know how to voice what was going on in his head.
After trying and failing to get through to him, I found Logan waiting for me outside the locker room. I was shut down until we got into his car, and then I broke down.
Logan held me as I cried, pissed off at his brother on my behalf.
When we got home, I went to talk to James, letting him know something was going on with Owen. He looked worried about his son, told me he was grateful that I came to him with my concerns, and he would get it handled.
Again, he asked me not to give up on him. But how could he ask me that when I didn’t know how to navigate this?
Owen didn’t want my help. I don’t think he wanted help from anyone.
Then, later, we found out Owen ended up breaking his hand, forcing him off the team for the rest of the season. That had me even more out of sorts.
He’s spiralling, he’s hurting, and all I want to do is fix it. To help him.
But you can’t fix someone who won’t accept help.
Still, I don’t think I have it in me to give up on him, or to write him off. The best I can do is let his dad handle it. If anyone can get through to him and help him, it’s James.
So, for now, I plan on living my life and doing the best I can. It doesn’t mean I don’t care about Owen. I do. Even more than I thought. And seeing him going down this path hurts. He’s in pain, that much is clear, but it seems he’d rather let it consume him than ask for help.
Not wanting to let my hurt ruin what had been an amazing day, I returned to my seat and enjoyed the rest of the game with my family and friends.
Now, we are down to the most important moment of the game.
Tensions are high, and everyone seems to be sitting on the edge of their seats.
“You got this, Elijah!” James shouts.
“Go, E!” Winter cheers.
“He’s got this,” Kai murmurs low. “You got this, baby.”
I smile at how damn cute he is. He loves Eli just as much as I do. Things between the three of us have been going so damn well.
Watching the two of them and their relationship blossom has been amazing. The way Kai is with Eli, a mix of best guy friends and nurturing partners, is exactly what Eli seems to need.
